When Melissa McCarthy picked out a swanky gray coat to wear on the cover of Elle magazine's November issue, she had no idea she was igniting a controversy.

The 43-year-old actress told CNN at the magazine's Monday celebration of Women in Hollywood that the negative reaction to the cover, with some accusing the magazine of putting McCarthy in an overcoat in order to hide her size, caught her off guard.

“I was just completely surprised by it," McCarthy told CNN Monday night. "I’m the one that grabbed the coat off the rack ... I thought it was a fantastic coat, it was really chic."

The reason she picked it, "The Heat" actress says, wasn't because she was ashamed of her figure but because she was excited for the seasonal fashion to come.

"I had a great little black dress on, and it was summer, and I was like, 'Oh God, is summer ever gonna end? I want it to be coat weather.' So I grabbed the coat and ran up on the roof and we shot it," she said.

If McCarthy has any regrets, it's that she didn't keep the coat as swag. "I didn’t steal the coat, which now I regret," she joked. "It was gorgeous, I should’ve taken it.”

That explanation may not satisfy those who saw a discrepancy between the other stars Elle picked to cover their Women in Hollywood issue, like Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley, who are shown not in heavy winter gear but a sleek dress with cutouts and a bathing suit.

As one observer on Twitter said, "#Elle Put Melissa McCarthy In A Big Coat To Hide Her Body – The coat is gorge, but the difference in shots is sad."

Elle's Editor in Chief, Robbie Myers, reiterated the magazine's official statement that stylists worked with McCarthy to select a look they like and feel comfortable in.

The response, Myers said, is "a manufactured controversy over a manufactured problem. I think she looked beautiful and she loved it ... I don’t think Melissa McCarthy is doing anything that she doesn’t want to do."

soundoff(26 Responses)

Wow

I thought I'd look at the comments on this article in the hopes that someone had stuck up for Melissa McCarthy. Instead, I see a bunch of people tearing someone down over and over again. If you don't think she's beautiful, don't comment! No one cares about your insanely negative and self centered opinion. We hear and read in the news about kids bullying other kids and wonder what's wrong with them. People like you are exactly what's wrong with them.

It's a magazine cover. Who cares? It's a rockin coat and she wears it well. Should be end of story but I guess people can never just be happy.

She has an infectious smile, adorable dimples, laughter in her eyes, and a kick-ass sense of humor! I find her not only beautiful, but inspiring! I don't have a lot to laugh about these days, an electrical accident at work ended my nursing career 10 years and 2 weeks ago. Massive nerve damage has me in pain almost all of the time, Spinal fusion was done to minimize the movement in my back, but it failed to fuse. My husband walked out after telling me I was just no fun anymore. I have a full time job of going to doctors, therapists, and anyone else who might know a way for me to have a day without pain. Ms McCarthy is better than morphine for me, and I am so glad she was brave enough to become a public figure, knowing you people would all be sitting around judging her. I might have come to the same conclusion as many, but if she says she selected that gorgeous coat then I believe her. Besides, if ELLE had given her a skimpy thing to wear, you bitter pills would find reasons to get hostile for that. There will always be those who aren't happy unless they've found something that makes them unhappy. I think Melissa McCarthy is beautifully amazing.

She's fat, overrated and totally NOT funny. She plays the "fat" card better than most blacks play the race card. Someone criticizes her, she says it's because she's fat. No one in the media dare say anything bad about her or she'll say it's because she's fat. Well, guess what lady, YOU'RE FAT!

It is very sad and unthinkable that a very classy, elegant picture cover of Melissa McCarthy can become a controversy. How remarkable that she has chosen good fashion sense instead of physical intimidation by declining showing skin, and to say it is a cover up of her plus size just reveals how we are so displaced with our perspective. Congratulations to Elle Magazine for making good decent choices.

It's October so a skimpy outfit is not correct and she looks Fabulous! All the negative comments are ridiculous!!! There is always going to be THOSE people who never have anything posituve to say about anything! Melissa YOU LOOK AWESOME!!!!!

I'm afraid I have to agree. Being of such large stature is nothing to boast about and cerainly could decrease one's time in life. Sitting around on your derriere all day masturcating is no matter for pride and most definately doesn't speak in one's favour. My husband would be ashamed of me if I presented myself in such an unkempt manner.

Jesus Christ (the holy saviour lord) said that gluttony was a sin and punishable by means no less than stoning. I know it seems barbaric, but what is the logical alteratinve?

Yes, she is fat. No she doesn't have a beautiful face either (larger women can be beautiful, Queen Latifa for expample), but before she got all these roles for being the "funny fat actress" she had a fill time gig as Sookie on Gilmore Girls. There was almost no comedy to her role and she was excellent in it and she dressed rather nicely. I love her from Gilmore Girls, and The Heat was a surprisingly funny movie. But she's definitely been type casted as of late which is hurting her credibilty as an actress.